Christmas tree holder



March 31,1942. D E. \kARNER 2,277,803

CHRISTMAS TREE' HOLDER I Filed April 9, 1941 .D.Z 7. Vanna? INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 31, 1942 UNITED STTES PATNT OFFICE CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER.

David E. Varner, Wichita, Kans.

Application April 9, 1941, Serial No. 387,765

2 Claims.

This invention relates to Christmas tree holders, the primary object of the invention being to provide a Christmas tree holder which may be simply and easily erected, and will stand substantially level on all four legs thereof, with little effort on the part of the person erecting the device.

An important object of the invention is to provide a Christmas tree holder which when disassembled, may be folded into a small and compact article to facilitate shipping and storing of the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder of this character which will be exceptionally cheap to manufacture, and light in weight, due consideration having been given to the strength and durability of the holder.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a holder embodying a plurality of sections having prongs at their upper endsadapted to be embedded in the trunk of the tree, the sections being so constructed that the weight-of the tree directed against the support, will act to urge the prongs into the trunk of the tree.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is an elevational View of the Christmas tree holder, the base plate thereof being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the holder.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the base plate to which the sections of the holder are removably connected.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the support comprises a plurality of supporting members of identical construction. Each of the supporting members embodies a length of substantially heavy wire material bent upon itself providing a lower rod 5 and an upper inclined rod 6, the rods 5 and 6 being connected at their inner ends, to the substantially vertical rod 1, the upper end of the rod I being extended above the inner end of the inclined rod 6, where it is extended inwardly and formed into a prong 8 adapted to be embedded in the trunk of the tree supported by the holder.

The lower rod 5 of each supporting member connects with the substantially vertical rod 1 at a point in spaced relation with the lower end of the rod 1, providing a right angled extension 9 adapted to be extended through one of the openings [5 of the base plate I4, while the lower end of the adjacent vertical rod 7 extends through the adjacent opening l3 of the plate 14 securing the lower end of the substantially vertical rod 1 to the plate.

Brace rods [0 are connected with the rods 5 and 6 of each supporting member, the rod Ill being disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the rods 1.

At the lower ends of the rods 6, are substantially short rods I I that are welded to the rods 6, the outer ends of the rods ll being extended downwardly and formed into spurs I2 to be embedded in the floor surface on which the support is positioned. It might be further stated that the rods 5 are so constructed that they are inclined from the outer ends thereof, upwardly towards the tree'trunk, supported in the device, with the result that the weight of the tree will tend to force the inner ends of the rods 5 of the holder downwardly, and urge the prongs 8 into the trunk of the tree, securely holding the tree in its upright position.

Should it be desired to use the holder without the members I2, the rods ll may be removed by exerting a lateral pressure on the rods ll.

As clearly shown by Figure 3 of the drawing, openings l3 are provided in the base place, adjacent to the openings I5, and provide means for receiving the extensions 9 of the rods 5 of the supporting members, when the Christmas tree holder is used with Christmas trees having trunks of larger diameters.

The base plate is also provided with a central opening l6 adapted to receive the pin or nail I1 that secures the plate Hi to the bottom of the tree trunk. An annular shoulder I8 is formed on the pin or nail 11, the annular shoulder being disposed in spaced relation with the head 19 of the pin or nail l1, so that a claw hammer may be readily used in removing the nail.

In the use of the holder, it will be seen that when the base plate M has been secured to the end of the tree trunk, as by means of the pin or nail ll, the extensions 9 of the supporting sections, are extended through the openings l3 and I5, nearest to the tree trunk. The prongs 8 are now forced into the tree trunk, securing the upper ends of the substantially vertical rods 1 to the tree trunk.

To disassemble the tree holder, it is only necessary to pry the prongs loose from the trunk of the tree, then lift the extensions 9 from the openings of the base plate. The members may now be formed into a small and compact package by placing the members one on another,

What is claimed is:

1. In a tree holder, a rectangular base plate having a central opening through which a nail is driven into the bottom of a tree supported by the holder, said base plate having pairs of openings adjacent to the corners thereof, the plate extending beyond the surface of the tree to which it is secured, a plurality of supporting members comprising a substantially vertical rod having a prong at its upper end and a substantially U- shaped member comprising an upper rod and a lower rod, the upper and lower rods of the U- shaped member being connected with the substantially vertical rod in spaced relation with the ends thereof, the free end of the lower rod extending at right angles, and said right angled end and lower end of the adjacent substantially vertical rod, adapted. to extend through adjacent openings of the plate, securing the U-shaped member to the plate, and said prong adapted to be forced into the trunk of the tree by pressure directed to the plate caused by the weight of the tree supported thereon.

2. A tree holder comprising a base plate on which the base of a tree is positioned, said plate having a central opening and a plurality of pairs of openings adjacent to the edges of the plate, a plurality of supporting members, each of said supporting members embodying a length of substantially heavy wire material bent upon itself, providing an upper inclined rod and a lower inclined rod, a substantially vertical rod connecting the inner ends of the first mentioned rods, the lower end of the substantially vertical rod and the inner end of the lower inclined rod adapted to be positioned in openings of said base plate, removably securing the supporting member to the base plate, an inwardly extended prong at the inner end of the upper inclined rod, said prong adapted to be embedded in a tree trunk with which the holder is used, by pressure directed to the base plate caused by the weight of the tree held in the device, and a pin adapted to be driven into the central opening of the plate and into the base of the tree supported by the holder.

DAVID E. VARNER. 

